Tutu “snubbed” over Mandela funeral

Pretoria, South Africa (PANA) – Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the most famous South African after Nelson Mandela, appears to have been excluded from Mandela's funeral on Sunday, amid growing speculation that it is a politically motivated snub.

PANA reports Tutu has been vocal in his criticism of Zuma who has faced numerous political scandals while in office and this could be the reason they are sidelining him.

In 2011, Tutu famously compared Zuma’s administration to the apartheid regime and warned that "we will pray for (its) defeat".

The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation on Saturday refused to comment on why the Nobel Laureate will not attend Mandela's burial in Qunu in the Eastern Cape.

"We are not planning to make further statements on the matter," the Foundation said in a statement. Interestingly, Tutu was also excluded from the official programme for the Mandela memorial in Soweto on Tuesday.

However, he was called to give a blessing at the end of the memorial after the crowd had become disruptive and heckled Zuma.
-0- PANA CU/VAO 14Dec2013